Editor's letter: Keeping it simple

(This story first appeared in the Aug15-Sep15 issue #17 of Green Ideas magazine.)

I believe the desire for simplicity is rooted deep in the human heart. As the popular refrain so neatly puts it, less is more. (Though if we were to apply that principle to the phrase itself, I’m sure we could improve it. ‘Less, mmm’ perhaps? I’d come up with some more examples, but that would defeat the purpose...)

Anyway, the ‘less is more’ principle is something that wise folk through the ages have expressed in different ways. William Morris famously said “have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” Sir Isaac Newton wrote that “truth is ever to be found in simplicity”. And the 13th Century Franciscan friar William of Ockham even came up with a principle to help you think simply. Called Ockham’s Razor (presumably because he thought of it while shaving his tonsure) it basically says that simple ideas are usually best.

I reckon expressions like these ring true because they match reality. The principles underlying the universe are themselves simple and few, so we’re attracted to simplicity – I reckon – because we sense it’s a manifestation of the basic way the world works.

Meanwhile, something that clearly doesn’t work – unbridled consumer culture – is busy telling us that more is more. Driven by the notion of endless financial growth, society tells us that what matters most is to BUY MORE STUFF – while trying to make us dissatisfied with what we’ve got. Torn between these messages and our deepest natures, the average schmuck like me can start to feel distinctly uncomfortable.

Which is why it’s sometimes good to simplify our lives. By clearing some of the clutter away we can often reclaim a little space and time for ourselves – and when this happens we no longer need to be told about the things that matter most. They speak for themselves.

PS. Did you notice we simplified our design? We decided it was time for a fresh look for the magazine – one that would bring out the best in the stories that we love writing for you. I hope you like it.

Greg Roughan
Editor, Green Ideas magazine

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